Source: United Bible Society, September 24, 2024
August was a significant month for the Bible cause in Colombia, where the Colombian Bible Society (CBS) celebrated vital milestones, including its 50th anniversary. This celebration showcased God’s faithfulness in the country and included the dedication of the first Bible in an indigenous language, Wayuunaiki, with two special events.
The Wayuu make up 19.42% of [Colombia’s] indigenous population, equivalent to over 380,000 people, making them the largest Indigenous group in the country. This community also resides in northeastern Venezuela.
At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, the San José Coliseum, where the dedication took place, welcomed attendees to witness a historic moment. Diana Leal, CBS Executive Director, opened the event with a warm welcome:
The event continued with the Guajira Metropolitan Choir, who uniquely performed the Colombian national anthem— in Wayuunaiki. Following this, Bible Consultant Pastor Cosme Vivas shared:
“The Wayuunaiki language is not inferior to any major language because God speaks Wayuunaiki too. He loves the Wayuu people and wants them to hear Him in their language.”
Read the full story and check out The Wayuu People, a 3.5-minute video about their culture and way of life (Bread of Hope).
As we mentioned in our last news briefs, the number of languages needing translation efforts begun has dropped below 1,000. See Stones of Remembrance: A Milestone in Bible Translation History ( Wycliffe Bible Translators).